A US judge has ruled that Roman Storm, co-founder of the crypto mixer Tornado Cash, will face trial in December. Storm was accused of helping the North Korean hacking group Lazarus launder stolen funds.
Judge Rejects Dismissal Motion
Storm’s lawyers argued that he simply created an open-source protocol that offered privacy for Ethereum users, which they claimed isn’t a crime. However, the judge, Katherine Polk Failla, wasn’t convinced. She denied the motion to dismiss, stating that the case hinges on Storm’s “state of mind” and not just the code he wrote.
The judge emphasized that the government doesn’t need to prove Storm conspired with users for illegal purposes or even knew the specifics of the criminal activity. Instead, they need to show that Storm knew he was dealing with the proceeds of a crime.
Critics See “Assault on Freedom”
Legal experts are criticizing the ruling, with some calling it a “perversion of law” and an “assault on the freedom of software developers.” They argue that the case sets a dangerous precedent for developers who create tools with potential for both legitimate and illicit uses.
Storm’s trial is scheduled for December.
